thebodyguardsprincess M47 annmayburn 2 (11 page)

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A warm hand shook her gently. "Princess, wake up. You need to shower and eat so we can leave."

"What?" The words were slow coming out of her mouth. Her mind was filled with fog and she had the brief mental image of her yoga instructor putting something into her ear with a harsh expression on her face.

Asher tugged at her arm and pulled her from the comfort of the warm bed. "We're going to Detroit."

"Huh?" She wrapped her arms around his hips and rubbed her face on the hard ridges of his stomach.

Kent gave her butt a hard pinch. "Into the showers with you, my little harlot."

Stumbling, she yanked on the shower and stood beneath its spray. Through the steam she saw Kent take a seat on the lid of the toilet.

Waking up beneath the water, she groped for the shampoo. "Why are we going to Detroit?"

"Because that's where you told the anarchists the Security Council will be meeting next."

The shampoo bottle slipped through her fingers, and she cursed as she bent over to pick it up. "Did you tell my father?"

"Yep. You'll be interested to know you committed suicide."

Spitting water from her mouth, she scrubbed at her hair. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Asher's voice came from the doorway. "The FBI faked your death. They don't want the anarchists worrying about you spilling the beans. This is the biggest break they've had in years."

"I'm dead?" Deeply disturbed, she tried to keep her tone light. "Did I have a funeral?"

"Not yet." Asher's misty image joined Kent and he wrapped his arms around him. "You did it in a rather spectacular fashion."

Interested despite the macabre nature of the subject, she dumped a handful of conditioner into her palm. The scent of lemon grass and oranges filled the humid air. "How?"

"Set yourself on fire in front of a group of tourists."

"Holy shit!"

Kent laughed. "Don't worry, they were all FBI officers. But your 'leaked' suicide made it to all the news stations. The stunt woman did a fantastic job."

Working the soap into a lather, she scrubbed her arms and chest in rough jerks. "How is my father handling it?"

"The Sanjit has gone into seclusion to deal with your death."

"In reality, he is absolutely furious. He wants to contact you, but knows they're watching him."

At least her father knew she was okay. The thought made her feel better. "That still doesn't tell me why we have to go to Detroit. If the FBI knows what's going on, why do we need to be there?"

"Because you've heard Rashid. You're the only person we know of that can identify them."

"I have? When?"

Asher moved over to the sink and grabbed his toothbrush. "You talked to him on the phone. He was the one giving you directions on what to do and you probably heard anyone that was in the background. We think your yoga instructor is the one who helped hypnotize you."

"No shit." She turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. Kent wrapped a towel around her and pulled her in for a soft kiss. The image of Mrs. Yazuka's normally pleasant face twisted into a scowl flashed through her mind.

Asher rinsed his mouth out with mouthwash and spat into the sink. "Keep it in your pants. We need to hit the road."

She flipped him the bird, and Kent snickered as he toweled her hair. "How in the world am I supposed to find him? Did I tell you where he's staying?"

Kent snapped the towel at her bottom as she rummaged through the dresser for another pair of shorts. "Kinda…"

After picking out a navy blue T-shirt, she looked over her shoulder. "Kinda?"

"We know they'll strike during the fireworks on June 21st." Asher tossed a gym bag onto the bed and began to draw bundles of cash out of it.

"What the hell is that? Did you rob a bank while I slept?"

Kent pulled his backpack out of the closet and threw it onto the bed beside the bag. "Mr. Jerry doesn't trust banks. But he does trust his underground fortress."

"Time to hit the road." Asher pulled her close and held her. She brushed her lips over his and tasted the mint mouthwash on his breath.

She rested her head against his chest and breathed in his scent. "Well, there's one good thing about being dead."

"What's that?" Kent asked as he ran his knuckles over Asher's cheek.

"I don't have to worry about my dad killing me for running off with you two."

Chapter Nine

Lalita took a deep breath and rolled over onto her stomach on the king-sized bed. Asher and Kent had already raided the bar of their hotel room and each drank from a little bottle of whisky. The men put away the purchases from their shopping spree into the drawers of the light wood dresser. They exchanged a soft kiss and she couldn't help but grin at them.

Done in shades of pale gold and ruby red, the suite at the Marriot looked out over the Detroit River and onto Canada from the sixty-eighth floor.

"You still haven't told me how we're going to find Rashid. Every time I ask you avoid the question." The bed bounced as Kent flopped onto it next to her and pulled her into his arms.

He nuzzled his face against her neck. "Have I told you how much I love you in the color pink?"

With a snort, she pushed him away and tugged the hem of her new shirt back down. "You're not going to distract me."

"Really?" Asher said as he turned away from the view. He slowly licked his lips, and her heart sped up at the lust in his eyes.

"Come on, guys, I need to know. It's not fair to keep me in the dark about this."

Asher opened a package of socks and began to put them away. "We're going to have to go shopping at Noir Leather."

Kent rolled onto his back and pulled her with him so she straddled his hips. He became very happy to have her there and she tried to ignore the erection pressing against the seam of her new shorts. "Does he work at the store or something?"

"Nope, it's a--um--"

"It's a fetish fashion boutique."

Her eyebrows flew up and she pushed Kent's hands down as they tried to creep toward her breasts. "Why do we need to shop there?"

"Rashid is going to be at a fetish club tonight with a woman and some man named David. We need to blend."

"Fantastic!" She rolled off Kent and joined Asher at the window. Now it was his turn to look shocked.

"You don't mind?"

"Uh, duh, have we met?" She tickled him and spun out of his reach. "I love fetish clubs. I've never participated in anything, but I've seen some fantastic performances."

Kent sat on the edge of the bed. "And here we were worried about your delicate sensibilities."

Digging through the bags of their new clothes, she tugged out a black tank top with lace straps. "That club I took you to? They have Friday Fetish Nights. I've seen more yummy men in latex than you can shake a stick at."

Big hands gripped her hips as Kent pulled her bottom back against him. "Yummy men?"

Tugging her shirt off, she amended, "Not as yummy as you two, of course."

Dark fingers toyed at the edge of her black bra as she tugged her new shirt on. "Stop." She smacked Asher's hands away and stood back, giving the men a once-over from head to toe. "Besides, I get to dress you two in leather." She sighed and pretended to fan herself. "This is better than Christmas."

"I hate to burst your bubble, but we do have work to do."

She took a deep breath and began to open her new makeup. "I know." Her hands shook as she tried to put the makeup brush back into its holder. "I'm trying not to think about that part. Because if I think about it, I'll obsess about it. And if I obsess about it I'm going to put us all into danger by freezing inside of there."

Avoiding Asher's hands, she went to the bed and quickly tugged on her socks. "I want to pretend we're all going out on a date together, like any normal couple." Kent snickered and swatted her butt as she walked past. "Well, as normal as a happy ménage going to a fetish bar can be."

"We won't let him hurt you." Asher leaned against the dresser next to her and crossed his arms over his muscled chest. "We also have an undercover agent in the bar that's going to help us."

"Really? Who is it?"

"Haven't met him before, but he used to be a member of the Special Forces. Somehow your father talked him out of retirement." She snickered as he continued, "He happens to enjoy a rather kinky lifestyle outside of work."

"And his wife is part owner of the club," Asher added as he kissed her neck before she swatted him away.

"How will we know who he is?"

Kent grimaced. "Mr. Jerry said he would find us. They want us to identify Rashid and trail him. It's unlikely all of the anarchists will be there. They usually operate in small and separate cells to avoid detection. It sounds more like a personal jaunt for him and his lady."

"Even if we arrested Rashid in the club, it's unlikely it would stop the attack they have planned. We need to find out what they are going to do and prevent it." Asher stroked a hand over her as he passed. She loved how physical they were with their affection to her. "I promise Rashid won't lay one finger on you."

"But you can't really know that, can you? There really is no way you can protect me totally." Swallowing, she leaned closer to the mirror to outline her eyes with a silvery liner. "I know you think I'm young and immature--"

"I think you’re amazing," Kent protested.

Asher said, "We love you."

She continued as if they had never interrupted her. "But I do know what will happen if we don't stop them. I've seen it over and over again with every terrorist bombing or kidnapping my father has dealt with." Closing her eyes, she leaned her forehead against the cool glass of the mirror. "I lived through it myself with the death of my mom."

This time she did let Asher hug her, then pushed him off with a watery smile. "I don't want to cry off my makeup." With the stealth any ninja would envy, Kent stalked up behind her and gave her a wet willy. "Gross! What are you, twelve?" Rubbing her wet ear against her shoulder, she kicked at his leg and missed.

"So what do you think you want to wear?" Kent patted the bed next to him and Asher sat behind him, wrapping his arms around Kent. It warmed her heart that they trusted her enough to be themselves around her. Brushing on her mascara, she realized she was probably the only person in the world they allowed themselves to relax fully around.

"Are you going to make Kent wear a dress?" Asher asked in a teasing tone and dodged a punch on the shoulder from Kent. The two men wrestled on the bed, and she tried to not get distracted by the sight of all that strength.

"Not sure. I'll have to see what the store has to offer." The excitement was back and she tried to focus only on the moment. Only on the joy of being alive and in love. On the bed, the men's fighting had turned into a deep kiss. It was only the mental image of dressing them up in delicious bondage outfits that kept her from joining them on the bed.

Her lips quirked into a grin as she applied her sparkly, soft bronze eyeshadow. "We'll have to find something good. I don't want us to stand out as posers. The regulars will know the difference and that will make us stick out. Besides, Rashid might be in the private playrooms and we'll need to show we can hang in order to get back there without raising a fuss."

"Private playrooms?" Kent let out a huff of air as Asher flipped him off the bed.

"Yeah. If it's an established fetish club, they are going to have private areas for their regulars to play in."

"You're okay with that?" Asher brushed his lips over Kent's shoulder as the men regarded her with a mixture of amusement and wariness. "We don't want to do anything that will make you uncomfortable. If need be, I can always play with Kent."

"Who's gonna be the bottom?" Kent gripped Asher's thigh and massaged the tight muscles. "Or I can try to sneak Asher and myself back there. It might be more effective than either of us trying to pretend to be a sub."

With her hands on her hips, she glared at both of them. "Are you kidding me? Playing in front of all of those people, knowing most of them would give their right arm to be your slave? No way are you going to deprive me of this." Turning back to the mirror, she used her teeth to tear at the cellophane off a tube of lipstick. "And I can finally use that stupid trigger for something I want."

Asher put his arm around Kent's waist and regarded her with amusement. "Do we get any say in what we wear?"

"Nope," she said cheerfully.

"It's only fair then that we get to pick out your outfit." Kent brought Asher's free hand to his mouth and kissed his knuckles.

"Dream on." They both growled at her and she sighed, trying to spike her blonde hair in the mirror without much success. "Fine, you can help me pick out an outfit. But I get veto power."

* * * *

"Lalita, behave!" Kent laughed and ducked behind Asher. The warm evening air felt good on her skin and she adjusted the shiny red latex mask covering the upper half of her face.

Cocking her hip, she examined the men from head to toe and sighed in appreciation. Both were dressed in some variation of black leather, her favorite. Asher wore a pair of black leather pants that laced up the front over his rather impressive bulge. The black mesh of his shirt revealed every ripple of muscle beneath and clung to his broad shoulders. His mask was shaped like hers, but was in black leather instead of red latex.

Kent tilted his square jaw at an arrogant angle, confident in his good looks. His black leather pants hung very low on his hips and the edge of his black leather shirt stopped an inch above where the pants started. That sliver of muscled torso drove her wild and she wanted to lick along the exposed pale flesh. He also wore a black leather mask similar to theirs.

"You look like walking sex." Asher adjusted himself behind his pants.

Blushing, she ducked her head and mumbled, "Thanks." After debating for around an hour at the store, they had finally settled on a choice for her. White thigh-high latex boots clung to her white fishnet-covered legs. A shiny red latex dress pushed her breasts together where it laced in the front, and flared out around her waist with a poof of white crinoline beneath.

She spun around and said, "Oh, a penny." Bending over, she gave her butt a little wiggle and was rewarded with low cursing. She wore a white lace thong with ruffles and rhinestones over the top curve of her bottom. Normally she wouldn't have worn them, but Asher had picked them out with an expression of pure lust. While she did not intend to go totally naked, she loved the idea of teasing Asher. And paying the price later.

Kent held the final piece of her outfit in his hand--two red leather leashes to attach to the red latex collar at her throat. Kent snicked it to her throat and gave an experimental tug. Asher traced the edge of the collar with his fingertip. "Someday, I want to get you a collar with our names on it."

Even without the trigger, her body throbbed and tightened at his words. They were going to trigger her once she was inside and hope their efforts worked at lessening its effects on her. The theory was that in her triggered state, she would be more likely to recognize Rashid's voice and that of the woman--if they could get back to the private rooms and if she could fight off the trigger long enough to remain coherent.

"Shall we?" Kent and Asher stood on either side of her, holding out their arms.

They took their place at the back of the line and she felt like preening beneath the envious stares of the other patrons. Many wore cloaks despite the warm night, and she wondered what they had on beneath that they had to shield from the general public.

Cars passed and beeped on the busy street, and she was glad she wore a mask. It was funny to watch the double take that people did when they passed the club. Even more fun to watch the men, and sometimes the women, get fussed at by their partners as they slowed down to get a better look.

The line slowly moved and the men whispered to each other. She was content to stand between them, pressed against their warmth with Ken's fist wrapped around one of her leashes and Asher's fist clenching the other. The couple in front of them kept stealing glances and doing some whispering of their own. She tried to peer above their heads, but even in her heeled boots she was too short to make out much other than shirts and backs.

"Anything?" Kent whispered into her ear.

"No. I can't see or hear much, too short."

"Well, isn't that a bitch," Kent whispered into her ear, holding her close in anticipation of the trigger. Her body didn't disappoint, a shudder of pleasure brought her breath out in a jagged pant. A little more of her mind managed to rise above the effects of the trigger. Squeezing Asher's hand, she smiled at him.

"Better this time?" he asked in a low rumble.

"Yeah. Physically it's the same, but I'm more … myself."

"Heads-up, kids," Kent said and nodded toward where a very tall woman in a pink latex ball gown stood talking to the bouncer and looking at them. Tapping her chin with a closed white lace fan, she returned Lalita's stare with a saucy wink.

The blonde curls falling to her waist shone with the light of passing cars as she strutted down the side of the line. Though she wore a rhinestone choker around her neck, Lalita was betting the tall blonde was a man. It was something in the way she walked, the broadness of the shoulders and the sharp angles of her beautiful face. And the strong, lean muscles of her arms.

Lalita was surprised to find she was attracted to the tall blonde, but then again confidence was always sexy.

"Well, hello there," the tall woman purred. "You're new."

"We're from Miami and in town for the fireworks." Asher stroked her back, and she relaxed beneath his touch. Up close, the tall woman was even more stunning. Her square jaw and bowed pink lips gave her face enough of a masculine edge to be intriguing beneath the artfully applied makeup.

"We read about the club and wanted to see what all the fuss was about." Kent laced his fingers into hers and the feeling of safety intensified.

"The fuss, eh?" The other patrons in line whispered amongst themselves, but Lalita was totally focused on the woman.

"And what about you, little sub, did you want to see what the fuss is about?" Despite the flippant and cutting tone, her blue eyes were kind.

"Whatever brings my masters pleasure brings me pleasure." That was the absolute truth, and she had no problem returning the woman's gaze without flinching.

Those beautiful pink lips parted into a million-dollar smile. "In that case, please do come in."

She unsnapped the black velvet rope and held it out for them. Angry mutters followed in their wake as they trailed after the tall woman. Pausing at the entrance, she tilted her head and struck a pose. "My name is Blondie, welcome to Serenity."